This US Banking Giant Uses Advanced Technology to Track Junior Bankers' Working Hours
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The US banking giant, JP Morgan Chase, has begun using technology to monitor the working hours of its young employees, particularly in the investment banking division. This step involves comparing the hours reported by staff with data from their digital activities.
In the pilot scheme, the bank will provide reports to junior bankers containing comparisons between the employees’ work logs and computer system-based estimates. This data is drawn from various digital activities, such as video calls, computer keystrokes, and meeting schedules.
JP Morgan describes the system as similar to the screen time reporting feature on smartphones. The goal is not to punish, but to increase transparency and awareness regarding workload.
“This tool is designed to support transparency, wellbeing, and encourage open conversations about workload,” JP Morgan stated, as quoted from The Guardian on Monday (23/3/2026).
This move emerges amid spotlight on the extreme working hours in the investment banking industry. JP Morgan has previously appointed a special official to oversee junior employee wellbeing, restricted weekend work, and set a maximum of 80 working hours per week.
The use of employee monitoring technology, known as “bossware,” has become increasingly common since the remote work trend during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, this policy has also drawn criticism for potentially violating workers’ privacy.
The investment banking industry itself is known for its highly intense work culture. Long hours are often the price to pay, albeit compensated by substantial salaries even for entry-level positions.
Several tragic cases have also occurred due to work pressure. Two years ago, a young banker at Bank of America, Leo Lukenas III, died from a blood clot after reportedly working more than 100 hours per week.
Previously, in 2013, an intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Moritz Erhardt, was found dead after working for 72 hours straight.
Similar cases once prompted Goldman Sachs to regulate interns’ working hours, including bans on working late into the night. Even during the pandemic, junior analysts at the bank reported workloads of up to 100 hours per week, impacting their mental and physical health.
“Management monitors the number of staff and the activity levels of junior bankers and regularly adjusts our team’s workload,” said Goldman.